Looking Up
by dontyouwantit
Summary: They're back for an eighth year and Draco isn't having a good time of it, but when he finds an upset Harry Potter will everything change? lil bit of angst, fluuuuff, DracoXHarry slash


DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything, do not sue

Draco was running late for Charms after he'd had to spend half an hour looking for his schoolbag. Someone had hidden it. Again. Even in the Slytherin common room he couldn't seem to cut a break. They'd all been invited back after the war, an eighth year of sorts. Not many had come, especially not Slytherins. Draco and Blaise were the only ones, but Blaise had long since distanced himself from the Malfoy heir. Draco couldn't really blame him. He knew he just had to get through his last year of school, get an apprenticeship as a Potions Master like he'd always planned and then things would start to look up.

He managed to make it to the hallway with minimal heckling. A couple of fifth years tried to trip him, but he'd skirted around their legs. He was hurrying down to the classroom when he heard a noise. He knew he shouldn't. He was already late, he was falling behind in lessons because his things kept going missing, and whoever was upset certainly wouldn't want comfort from him, but he found himself peering into the dark alcove.

'Potter?'

The boy jumped and glared at Draco, furiously wiping his eyes.

'Fuck off, Malfoy.'

Draco was planning to leave but he found himself dropping his bag and sitting next to Harry.

'What's wrong, Potter?'

'I told you to go away.'

'You should be in Transfiguration now, shouldn't you?'

'Have you been stalking me now?'

Draco laughed and settled back against the wall.

'Pot, kettle, I should think. Or have you forgotten sixth year?'

'I try to.'

The two sat in a silence only broken by Harry's occasional sniffs. Finally Draco pulled out a handkerchief and thrust it into his hand.

'Silk? And is that monogrammed?' said Harry, examining the cloth.

'Malfoy's always require the best,' declared Draco, lifting his chin.

'Piss off,' said Harry, shoving his arm.

Draco laughed and shoved him back. They roughhoused for a moment before falling back against the wall. Harry was leaning his arm against Draco's now, touching from shoulder to elbow.

'What are you doing though, Potter? I wouldn't have expected you to be the one crying in the shadows.'

Harry pulled back and Draco missed the warmth, but he waited to see if he'd pushed the boy too far. Whatever truce they'd formed after the war, the two were nowhere near friends.

'I…I can't handle it all…sometimes it's just t-too much…'

Draco nodded and felt Harry slump against him again.

'But you were the hero.'

'That's what everyone says but I…I had so much help and…and I lost so many.'

'They weren't your fault-'

'That's what everyone says as well, but you can't have it both ways,' said Harry, pulling back to stare into Draco's eyes. 'They tell me I saved everyone but that I didn't lose the ones I couldn't save, but it can't be both, Draco, don't you understand? Either I lost them and saved the rest, or I lost none and saved none, you have to choose, it can't be both.'

'I-I…You saved us, Harry,' began Draco, the name feeling as odd as hearing Harry say his own had. 'It was definitely you who saved us, so if that means it was you who couldn't save the rest, then…then that's how it is. But, Harry, we don't blame you for them.'

'You…I…Thank you. No one…No one has ever…seen it my way before. They always just make me tell them I'm okay.'

'And who's okay these days?'

Harry nodded and let his head fall on Draco's shoulder. Draco almost started when cool fingers intertwined with his, but when he felt Harry start to pull away, he gave them a reassuring squeeze.

'Why are you down here?' said Harry, breaking the silence.

'I was running late, through here's a shortcut to Charms.'

'I thought I knew all of them.'

'This is a Slytherin one.'

'I never see you anymore.'

'I…try to keep to myself.'

'Why?'

'In this political climate, it doesn't do for someone like me to draw attention to myself.'

'Political…Draco, what are they doing to you?'

'Calm down, Potter, it's not whips or torture, just, well, my things go missing on a surprisingly regular basis and if I seem to suffer a lack of grace unbecoming of a Malfoy, well let's say no more about it.'

'What?'

'They steal my stuff and push me around.'

Harry sat up but clutched at Draco's hand.

'But that's terrible. Why?'

Draco snorted and pulled up his left sleeve.

'But that wasn't your fault, you were let off at your trial, I spoke-'

'You what?'

'Shit.'

'Potter.'

'You called me Harry before.'

'You called me Draco.'

'…I like calling you Draco.'

'You're not going to distract me. Harry, tell me, did you speak at our trial?'

'Just…Just yours and your Mother's. You both saved me. I-I couldn't, not at Lucius', I just-'

'I'm glad you did what you did.'

'What do you mean?'

'I suppose, thank you. Thank you for saving my mother and me, Harry. And thank you for letting my father rot. When trying to change, I'd rather not have him hanging around.'

'You're not mad?'

'No. I had been disillusioned with my Father's views well before the fall of Voldemort.'

'You said his name.'

Draco smiled at Harry's tone. He sounded like a kid given an unexpected present. As the smaller boy leaned back against him, Draco allowed himself to rest his head on top of Harry's. Harry gave his hand a little squeeze in recognition.

'I wish you'd come to us before the end. I know why you couldn't, but I wish you had.'

'Me too.'

'And I wish I could make them stop, you don't deserve that.'

Draco laughed harshly and tugged his hand from Harry's grip.

'Don't deserve it? Sorry, remind me who almost murdered Dumbledore? And exactly who was it that let Death Eaters into the school?'

Harry looked crestfallen and Draco regretted his tone. He reached out to take his hand again but Harry pulled away.

'Look, I didn't mean to…You know I'm bollocks at emotions, I was raised not to have any but… look, you're being a bit of a hypocrite. You can't make me sit here and tell you it's your fault all those people died because you couldn't save them and then try to tell me it isn't my fault for killing people by achieving exactly what I set out to do.'

'I…I didn't mean it like that, but Draco, you don't deserve it. You did what we all did. You just…he would've killed you, you were just doing what you had to survive.'

Draco nodded and the two boys leaned back together. Once again Harry's hand found Draco's and they held on tight.

'Draco, do you think we could…just forget?'

'What, everything?'

'Everything that happened between us, all the…hate.'

'No.'

'Why not?'

'That's not exactly the foundation for a healthy relationship, Harry,' explained Draco, looking down fondly into the other boy's worried eyes. 'We can't just forget everything we don't like, everything that's a little uncomfortable or painful.'

'Relationship?'

'Did you listen to anything I say?'

Harry grinned up at Draco and Draco couldn't help but plant a soft kiss to the boy's forehead. Harry stared up and Draco was worried he'd overstepped some boundary. He watched Harry move to kneel in front of him, still holding his hand. Draco knelt forward and used his free hand to cup Harry's cheek. He slowly leaned in, giving the boy time to move away. When he saw Harry's eyes flutter shut he moved in to plant a soft kiss on Harry's lips.

Unfortunately, Harry moved in at the same time, and they crashed together. Harry's eyes grew wide as Draco swore and wiped blood of his split lip.

'I'm so sorry, Draco. Fuck. Shit, fuck. Oh Merlin.'

Draco glanced up as Harry spoke to see he had jumped up and was hurrying away from the alcove. Draco swore again, cleaned the last of the blood and grabbed the other boy.

'Draco, I'm so sorry, I'll just go, I always fuck stuff like this up and, well, I'll just leave-'

Draco pulled Harry into his arms and planted his lips on the other's, cutting off the stumbling apology. The bell rang and classes began streaming out, but no one even jostled the two boys. Harrys' hands had crept up to fist in Draco's hair while Draco had wrapped one strong arm around Harry's waist and the other hand had settled on his hip. When Draco flicked his tongue, Harry gasped and Draco slipped it in. He swallowed the moan the other boy let out and they kissed in earnest. They never noticed the crowds around them, or the teachers calling for them to stop, or the soft clapping of Ron and Hermione who had known all along how Harry felt.

When they finally pulled apart, lips puffy and red from kissing, Draco grabbed Harry's hand.

'I'll show you another one of those shortcuts now if you like.'

Harry laughed and the two ran off, the crowd parting around them. Somehow, towing the boy who lived after him, Draco was pretty sure things were looking up.


End file.
